Coin-controlled mechanism



Sept. 4, 1928.

C. LEA

COIN CONTROLLED MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jul'y l5, 1926 C. LEA

COIN CONTROLLED MECHANISM Filed July 15, 1926 2 Sheets Sheet 2 t'hair'i s Lea,

Patented Sept. 4, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT 1,683,361 FFICE.

CHARLES LEA, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTOMATIC MER- OHANDIZER INC., OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

COIN-CONTROLLED MECHANISM.-

Application filed July 15, 1926. Serial N0.-122,62-1.

My invention relates to coin controlled mechanism particularly but not exclusively. adapted for use in vending machines. y

The invention will be best understood from F the following descriptionwhen read in the light of the accompanying drawings of an example of the invention, the scope of the invention being more particularly pointed Fig. 8 is a section on the line 88 of Fig. l with the parts in a different position;

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 99' of' Fig.8; p

9 Fig. 10 is a plan of the article supporting member; and

Fig. 11 is a fragment of the front of the cabinet with the coin controlled mechanism and retaining member removed.

. The vending machine illustrated is claimed and more fully described in my copending application SerialNo. 122,623,1iled herewith, and herein will not be described except so far as necessary to show how itcooperates with the present invention.

Referring to the drawings I have shown a cabinet arranged'to maintain a stack of arti-' cles A, each of which articles issupporte'd upon an article-supporting-member 1, the

lowermost member of the stack bein su 3-.

ported at opposite ends uponflanges or as formed integrally with the laterally pro- ]ecting plate 19 the thickness of which is less than the diameter of the rod, the plate being pivotally carried by the cabinet 21 and having formed integrally therewith an arm 23 connected at its lower end by a link 25 to a reciprocatory member 27 of the coin controlled mechanism.

lVhen the member 27 is moved toward the back of the cabinet to bring the rod into its dotted line position shown by Fig. 1, the head 15 is moved into the position shown by Fig. 9, and the lowermost article-support ing-member l is moved to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, far enough to move its right hand end off the supporting flange 5, which per mits said article-supporting-member to fall. The falling article is caught by a' chute 29 and discharged through an opening 31 in the front of the cabinet, while the articlesupporting-member falls through an opening, in the plate towarda plate 33 upon which the discharged article-supportingmembers are stacked, the article-supporting- .member being provided with the slot 34 to permit it to passthe plate 19.

The coin controlled lock mechanism herein illustrated comprises a casing 35 haV- ing a front flange 37 and a back flange 39, the latter about its marginal portion being separated fronr the former by a groove 41 (Figs. 6 and 7) the thickness of which groove corresponds to the thickness of the material forming the lower portion of the front wall 130f the cabinet. As indicated in Fig. 11 the lower portion of the front wall of the cabinet extends from the base 45 of the cabinet to a band 47 encircling the cabinet, being "secured preferably by 'welding to said base and to said band.- At

its middle portion the front wall of the cabinet is cut away as indicated at 49 (Fig. 1.1 the edges of this cut away portion being notched as indicated at. 51, while the mar! ginal portion of the back flange 39 is notched at'53 (Fig. 6).. By this construction-thecasing 35 may be presentedto the front wall 43 of the cabinet with the cutaway portions 53 of the flange 39 in registry with the projecting portions 55 of the cut away part of said wall, and with the notches 51 ofthis cut away portion respectively in registry with those parts of the flange 39 which lie above and below the notches .53 in said flange. This enables the casing to he slid downward to cause the projecting portions In) of the wall to enter the portions of the groove 4C1 above the notches 53, and the portions of the wall at the edges of the cut away. part below the lower notches 51 to cuterthe portions of the groove 41 below the notches The casing is held in position by means of a plate 57 the width of which corresponds to the. width of the cut away portion ofthe plate 53, the lower end of the plate entering theupper horizout'alportion of the groove all and being secured to the band-4:7 by means of a stud 9 'car riod bysaid band and a nut 61 screwed on thestud. i

- The upper portion of the flange 37 of the casing of the coin controlled mechanism is cut away as indicated at68(Fig. 6), the llangebeing formed with a Vertical-slot 65 communicating "with th-iscut away portion and extendingthroughout the length of the flange to provide in cooperation with the plate 57 and front wall a slot "for -receiving thecoin indicated at BQ ris illustrated the casing has reciprocably mounted therein "the plunger member 27the body ofwhich member is'of rectangular cross-section and=has a cylindrical perti'on 68 projecting frem the front of said casing. 'At its re'arward end the member 27 hasspac'ed extensions 69 in whichis mounted a trunnion 7 1 to which is secured the link 25. It will-therefore be observed that by pressing the par-t' 69 of thereciprocablepinnger memberinward thereleasing mechanism hereinbefore described may be actuated to discharge an article, Upon release of the hantl of theoperator from the part 69 the reciprocabie member is returned to its posi tion 'indicat'cdby Figs. 1 and 2 by means of the spring 73 connected at opposite ends V respectively to the plate 57 and arm 23.

The lower side of the reciprocable member 27 s shown as formed w th a slot 75 in which is mounted a plate 77having a lost motion connection with said memberafferded by a slot 79 formed in the plate and a lugpSl carried by said member and Jro'e'ctin into said slot. Pivoted to the easing a pawl 83=which normally'bears ag inst the-bottom ofthe reciprocable membe'. "in the path of therearward end of the plate 77, which construction in the absence of the coin-will prevent sulficientmovement ofsaid' member-to operate the article releasing'mechanism. v Tlieu'eciproc'able mechanism, 27 as herein illustrated "is formed with a pair ofslots 85 and 87. hen the coin is inserted through theaslot 65 it is received by the slot 85 and rests upon the upper side'of the plate 77. When the reciprocable member is moved forward from its-position shown by Fig. 1 the plate'FT contacts with the end of the pawl 83 and remains stationary. The lost notion between the plate and thereciprocable member however is sufficient-to permit the reciprocable member to move inward far enough to transfer the coin from the plate to the upper-side of the pawl, as indicated by the coin in its dotted line position, in

ward to move the pawl out of engagement *ith the plate '77 as indicated in-Fig. .3. The pawl now beingreleased from the plate '77 the reciprocable member -may be moved inward far "enough to effect release of an article-supporting--member and to 'move the coin past the pawl, which permits the oom to drop from the slot 85 into the cup 9:2 at the bottom 'of the cabinet.

As illustrated, the plate 77 is held in pre determined relation to the member 27 by means of a spring pressed plunger 93 carriedby said memberand adapted to engage either of two recesses 95-formed in the upper side of the plate 77. Consequently if the reciprocable member is in the position shown by Fig. 3, and the coin is-of. insufiicientdiameter to cause the pawl 83 to be released from the plate r77,'the plate, on the return stroke of saidunember, due-tothe fact that in this position the spring pressed plunger engages with the rearward recess 95, will move away from the end of the pawl before the coin reachesthe end of the'pawl, and this will permit-the coin to be discharged through the lower end of the slot 65 intothe cup 97 atthe frontof thecabinet. \Vhen the forward end of the plate hits-the front wall 99 of the casing on the return stroke of the reciprocable member the plate will come to rest to cause the plunger and plate to assume the relative position shown in Fig. 2 so that when a new coin is inserted it will rest on the top=of the'plate. In the position shown by Fig. 2 the plunger'93 is in'engagement withythe forward recess 95 of the plate 77 'which ea-uses the plate to move with the plunger untilthe plate strikes the pawl.

A, magnet 101 is shown secured'to the up per sideof the casing, the poles 103 of which magnet are placed opposite the top of the slot-65 so that if a spurious coin of magnetic material is placed in the slot '65 it will 'be deflectedtow'ard the slot '87 in tho reciprocable member, the lower end of which slot normally is not covered the plate 77, and such coin therefore will fall through said slot intothe lower half of the slot 65 and be 7 discharged 'intofthe 'cup 97.

Forguidinfi the coins into the lower end ofthe slot '60 :the bottom of the cut away portion 19 of the plate 43 has an upwardly projecting tongue which is bent inward, as shown in Fig. 2, to catch the spurious coins passing through the slot 87 and the undersized coins which drop from the slot 85 when the reciprocable member is returned to move the slot 85 away from the pawl.

Herein the upper sides of the projecting portions 69 of the reciprocable member are formed with rack teeth 107 which cooperate with a swinging pawl 109 carried by the casing lVhen the pawl 83 is released the pawl 109 moves into engagement with the rack teeth, which prevents return of the member 27 until said member is moved inward far enough to cause disengagement of an article. At the inner end of the rack teeth the projections 69 are formed with deep notches 111 permitting the pawl 109 to disengage the rack teeth and move in the vertical position so that the pawl 109 during the return stroke of the member 27 will engage the rack teeth while inclined in the opposite direction to that'shown in Fig. 3, thereby preventing operation of said member for discharging a second article without moving said member back to its initial position and inserting a new coin.

Suitable means may be provided for rendering the mechanism inoperative to receive coins after the last article of the stack of articles is discharged. For this purpose a member 113 is herein provided, which member rests upon the uppermost member of the stack of article-supporting-members 1, and is provided with slots 115 engaging the guide members 9 so that the perforation 117 formed in said member 113 will receive the head 15 of the rod 13 when'the latter is moved to discharge the uppermost articlesupporting-member 1. The member 113 is of sutficient thickness to cause it, when it rests upon the shelf 5, to engage the guide members 9 and therefore prevent movement of the rod 13 from its position shown by Fig. 9 to that shown by Fig. 1. It will be observed from'Figs. 2 and 3 that when the coin receiving, member 27 is in theposition corresponding to the position of the rod 13 in Fig. 9 the coin slot 85 is out of registry with the coin slot 65, and therefore when the member 113 engages the rod 13 a coin cannot be wholly inserted in the machine.

It will be understood that I am not limited to the example of the invention herein de scribed and that within the scope of the into permit limited movement of said reciprocatory member, and means renderedoperative by a coin when inserted for disengaging said part and locking member upon such limited movement of said reciprocatory member to permit extended movement of said reciprocatory member. 7

2. A coin controlled apparatus having, in combination, a reciprocatory member, a lock ing member, a part, for engagement with said locking member connected to said reciprocatory member for relative movement to permit limited movement of said reciprocatory member, and means rendered oper rocator'y member, means providing a cam surface, and said reciprocatory member and said part acting to receive a coin and move it against said cam surface to cause said coin to eliect disengagement of said partzand locking member upon said limited movement of said reciprocatory member. s

4;, A coincontrolled apparatus having, in combination, a reciprocatory member, a locking member, a part for engagement with said locking member. connected to said reciprocatory member for relative .movement to permit limited movement of said recipr0- catory member, means providing a cam surface, said reciprocatory member and said part acting to receive a coin and move it 'against said cam surface to move said coin relative to said reciprocatory member, and means actuated by such relative movement of said coin for effecting disengagement of said part and locking member.

5. A coin controlled apparatus having, in combination, a reciprocatory member, a locking member, a part for engagement with said locking memberconnected to said reciprocatory member for relative movement to permit limited movement of said reciprocatory member, means providing a cam snrface, said reciprocatory member and said part acting to receive a coin and move it between said cam surface and said locking member upon such limited movement of said reciprocatory member for moving said locking member out ofengagement with said part. V f v 6. A coin controlled. apparatus having in combination, ,a. reciprocatory member, a part movable with said member and having a lost motion connection to it, a locking member for engaging saidpart,-said reciprocatory member formed for receiving a-coin and by said lost motion connection transferring said coin to said locking member, and means to cause said coin to move said locking member out of engagement with said part while said lost motion is being taken up.

7. A coin controlled apparatus 'having in combination, a reciproo'atory :member, a re ciprocatory part movable with said member and having a lost motion connection -to it, a locking member for engaging said part, said reciprocatory member formed for receiving a coin and by said lost motion connection transferring said coin to said locking member, and means to cause said coin to move said locking member out of engage- .ment with said part while said lost motion is being taken up.

8. A coin controlled apparatus having, in combination, a reciprocatory member, a 'reciprocatory part movable with said anember and having a lost motio '1 eonnection to it, a swinging locking member for en a'ging said part, said -iecipi'oc'atoi'y member formed for receiving a coin an'd by said lost motion connect-ion transferring said coin to said looking member, and means'to-cause said coin to move said locking member out of engagement with said part while said lost motion is being taken up.

9. A coin controlled apparatus having, in combination, a reciprocatory -member, a reciprocat'ory part moving with said inember and having a lost motion connection therewith, a docking member normally in the patlr'of said part, means responsive to the pressure of a coin for causingsaid looking memberto bemoved from the path of said part vhile saidlost motion is being-taken up when said reciprocatory member :is'moved in-one direction, and-means for causing 1'65 turn -motionto discharge a coin throng-lithe space between :said part and locking member before said lost motion is taken up on the return stroke if said locking member is not moved from the path of said part.

10, :A; coin controlled apparatus having, in combination, a reciprocatory member, a cooperating reciprocator -y part havinga lost motion connection thereto, a docking mem ber .in the path of said part, said reciprocatory member formed for receiving a 'coin supported upon said part whereby movement of said member transfers said coin to said locking member, and'means'for coo-p eration with the'coin when transferred for movingisaid locking member from the path ofsaid part. 7

11. A coin controlled apparatus having, in combination, a 'reciprocatory member, a cooperating reciprocatorypart having a lost motion connection thereto, a locking meme ber in the ath of said part, said reciprocatory member having a slotgfo'r receiving a coin, said =slotclosed by said part whereby said reciprocatory :member sufiicient to take up'the lostan'otion between it and-said art transferring the coin to said locking member, and means :cooperating with the -coin for moving said locking meniberfrom ensg'agcment with said part.

13. A coin controlled apparatus mat in -in combination, a. re'ciprocatory member formed with a slot for receiving in 'c'oin,a reciprocatory apart dlosi-ng the "bottom of saidslot, means providing a fl'ost motion connection between said member and part, a locking member cooperating with said part, said locking member normall spaced lfrom said apart a distance 'greatert an the Width-of a coin, :motion of said recipro'catory member I suiiioient to take up the lost motion between itand said part transferring the coin :to said locking member, and means cooperating with the coin for moving said locking member for engagement with said part.

14:. :Avcoin controlledapparatus having, in combination, azreciproeatory member formed with a slot for receiving'a coin, a recipr'oca'tory part closing the bottom of said slot, means providing :a. lost :motion Lc'onnection betweensriid [member :and part, a docking member cooperating with said part, said locking member normally spaced 'from said part a distanceagreater-ithanthe Width of a coin, a-rsecond slot formed .in :said reciprocatory.member opening to the spac'e'between said part :and locking :member, guiding means for directing a coin :to fall toward the first mentioned slot, a magnet for directing falling rcoins of magnetic material toward :said vsecond mentioned slot, imotion of said reoiprocatory member sufficient to t-akeupthelost motionibetween at and Saul part'transferring the com received by said first me'ntionedslot to said locliingimem'ber,

movement of said member when said part is engaged by said pawl, means responsive to the pressure of a coin for disengaging said pawl from said part upon such limited movement of saidmember, said part and member cooperating for retaining and moving said coin for actuation of said means, and means for positioning said part in predetermined relation to said reciprocatory member for retaining said coin when said pawl is positioned for engagement with said part and for preventing retaining 01. said coin when said pawl is moved for engagement with said part.

16. A coin controlled apparatus having,

in combination a movable member lockin 7 #:1

means therefor comprising a pawl and a part moved by said movable member, said part and movable member being operatively connected by means permitting limited movement of said member when said part is engaged by said pawl, means responsive to the pressure of a coin for disengaging said pawl from said part upon such limited movement of said member, said part and member cooperating for retaining and moving said coin for actuation of said means,

, and means for resiliently positioning said part in predetermined relation to said reciprocatory member for retaining said coin when said pawl is positioned for engagement with said part and for preventing retaining of said coin when said pawl is moved for engagement with said part.

17. A coin controlled apparatus having in combination, a movable member, locking means therefor comprising a pawl and a part moved by said movable member, said part and movable member being operatively connected by means permitting limited movement of said member when said part is engaged by said pawl, said member having a coin receiving slot closed at one end by said 'part when said part is in one position relative to said member, engagement of said part with said pawl moving said part relative to said member for opening said end of said slot, means for resiliently holding said part I to said member in the positions of said part in which it closes and opens said slot, and means whereby said limited movement of said member causes the coin to move said pawl from engagement with said part.

18. A coin controlled apparatus having, in combination, a member movable from an initial position to a final position and back to said initial position, a part having a lost motion connection to said member, spaced stops one of which is a movable pawl for moving said part relative to said member when the latter is reciprocated, means resiliently holding said part to said member in the positions to which it is moved relative to said member by said spaced stops, said part cooperating with said member to retain a coin when said part and member-are in one of their relative positions, and means cooperating'with the coin for moving said pawl from engagement with saidpart when said member moved to take up said lost motion,

19. A vending machine having, in combination, means for maintaining a stack of articles, coin controlled mechanism comprising an actuator and a part operated thereby for releasin the articles one by one, said mechanism having provision for a coin to release said actuator for movement, a member supported on the stack of articles for engag ing said part for preventing operation of said mechanism when the articles of said, stack are discharged.

20. A vending machine having, in combination, a plurality of releasable members each. for supporting an article of a stack of articles, a finger for actuating release of the members at the bottom of said stack for successively dischar ing articles, a member at the top of said stack for engaging said finger, said last named member being restrained against release, coin controlled mechanism comprising an actuator positively connected to said finger by means preventing substantial movement ofsaid actuator Whensaid finger is engaged by said member at the .top of said stack.

lock said part and said actuator against substantial movement upon discharge of the articles of said stack, said slot and pocket being out of alignment when said members are released and said member-at the-top of said stack engages said part.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

onnnnns- LEA.

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